phony

pho·ny also pho·ney  (fn)

adj. pho·ni·er, pho·ni·est

1.

a. Not genuine or real; counterfeit: a phony credit card.

b. False; spurious: a phony name.

2. Not honest or truthful; deceptive: a phony excuse.

3.

a. Insincere or hypocritical.

b. Giving a false impression of truth or authenticity; specious.

n. pl. pho·nies also pho·neys

1. Something not genuine; a fake.

2.

a. One who is insincere or pretentious.

b. An impostor; a hypocrite.

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[Alteration of fawney, gilt brass ring used by swindlers, from Irish Gaelic fáinne, ring, from Old Irish.]

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phoni·ly adv.

phoni·ness n.

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	phony - a person who professes beliefs and opinions that he or she does not hold in order to conceal his or her real feelings or motives dissembler, dissimulator, hypocrite, phoney, pretender beguiler, cheater, deceiver, trickster, slicker, cheat - someone who leads you to believe something that is not true charmer, smoothie, smoothy, sweet talker - someone with an assured and ingratiating manner Tartufe, Tartuffe - a hypocrite who pretends to religious piety (after the protagonist in a play by Moliere) whited sepulcher, whited sepulchre - a person who is inwardly evil but outwardly professes to be virtuous
Adj.	1.	phony - fraudulent; having a misleading appearance bastard, bogus, fake, phoney counterfeit, imitative - not genuine; imitating something superior; "counterfeit emotion"; "counterfeit money"; "counterfeit works of art"; "a counterfeit prince"